NFC East Notes: Cowboys, Giants, Redskins

Cowboys

• While Cowboys executive VP Stephen Jones recently said that LB Anthony Hitchens is someone they want to keep, David Moore of the Dallas Morning News writes that they could end up losing him in free agency just like they lost S Barry Church last year.

Giants

Giants GM Dave Gettleman made it clear that they won’t make any critical decisions regarding their draft plans following the Scouting Combine.

“Absolutely not,” Gettleman told Tom Rock of Newsday. “There is a whole lot more information to gather. I’ve heard stories about teams setting their boards in February and that’s where they sit. That’s not my philosophy. I want all the information so I can make an informed decision. I don’t have any preconceived notions, I just let the process play out. You have to respect the process, and the process doesn’t end until you’ve done Indy, gone out to the Pro Days, had visits with kids both here and at their campuses, and then we gather up all the information. I’m a firm believer in respecting the process. You take short cuts, you’re going to make mistakes. I can’t sit here in early March and decide who I’m taking with the second pick in the draft. It’s silly.”

Gettleman explained that he views free agency as a way to set up their draft plans.

“The purpose of free agency is to set yourself up for the draft,” Gettleman said. “You do the UFA signings and then you see where your roster is, and then you move forward. In the ideal world you don’t have to go into the draft with a forced need. You don’t want to be in a position where you have to take a ‘fill in the blank.’ You can go in where you can legitimately take the best player available at each pick.”

Redskins

• Rich Tandler of CSN Washington takes a look at five members of the Redskins that will need to step up for the 2018 season.
• Tandler’s list includes WR Josh Doctson, RB Samaje Perine, CB Josh Norman, OLB Preston Smith and HC Jay Gruden.
• Tandler mentions that the Redskins are unlikely to invest major assets in the running back position.